The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-05-26

HENDERSON. n. c., THURSDAY. MAY 26, 1887.

all broad shouldered, Of fully devel.
oped body, military appearance, firm
countenance, fully defined features,
large chin, piercing eyes and bald
head, with slight fringe of sandy-col-
ored hair around the sides. This con-
forms to the historic Ney who was
"robust" with "military carriage" had
'strongly marked features" sprom-
inent chin," ..large and elevated tore
head" cred hair" and who Gin later
life, by the exposure which he had
suffered, was rendered almost bald.
! THE ALLEGED EXECUTION.
On several occasions when under
the influence of whisky, for he loved
his dram, Ney said that he was Mar
shall, and he told the same to two or
three of his most intimate friends when
he was entirely sober. He said the
soldiers detailed to shoot him were his
old comrades in arms, and while on
the way to the garden of Luxembourg,
the place of execution, they whispered
and told him to fall quickly at the COM
mand of "fire" and leave the balance to
them. He did as they requested, Ney
giving the command himself, and the
ten historic balls passed over himi and
lodged in the wall behind. The Of
fcers, who were on their horses near
by, galloped off as soon as Ney fell;
the attending physician, who was also
an old friend of Ney pronounced hin
dead; he was placed in a coffin and
turned over to his friends, and. soon
shipped from Bordeaux to America,
while the empty casket was buried in
Pere Ia Chaise. 1t is very plain that
a scheme of this kind could have been
easily planned and carried out, for
there was great Indignation throughout
France on account of the proceedings
against Ney. When he was first
brought before the council of war, Mar
shall Money was named president of
the council, but he at once addressed
a manly and indignant communication
to the king peremptorially refusing to
sit in council against Ney, which act
caused him three months imprison-
ment. His letter bore sentiments
which will consecrate his name to per-
petual honor. Among other things,
he said: "And shall l consign to death
the man to whom SO many Frenchmen
are indebted for life; to whom SO many
families owe their sons, their husbands
or their fathers?" Peter S. Ney was
FIRST SEEN IN SOUTH CAROLINA
in 1876, the year following the histor-
ical date of Marshal Ney's execution.
At one time, some years after, he was
sitting in the corner at a hotel in Oar
lington, S. c., when stranger present
was telling the crowd about his exten-
sive travels, and among other places
he had visited was that of the tomb of
Marshal Ney. The old man reused
himself up, he being partly intoxicated,
and said: "You perhaps saw the mon
ument erected to Ney, but he was not
there. Ney's dust cannot be found in
French SOIL"
The first known of Ney in North
Carolina was in 1917, some time after
the Inauguration of President Monroe.
One day during this year DR.. Schools,
an educated Irishman, who had some
years previous moved to that section,
and some of the citizens were about to
get into a difficulty while discussing
politics on the streets of Mockville,
Davie county, and just as the doctor
drew a. dagger and was about to
plunge it into his antagonist, a
stranger caught his arm, took the
weapon from him and remarked: "You
shall not kill an unarmed man while
l am here" The stranger was Ney.
The crowd cheered this brave and SOL
dierly act Justify, and it was soon after
this that he began teaching in that
NEY AS A SwORDSAAN.
One day gentleman representing
himself as being professional fencer
came to Mockville with the purpose of
the art of handling the sword.
One of Ney's pupils told~him if he
would contest with his teacher and
prove victorious a class would be or
ganized at once. He accepted the
and gave Ney sword. After
a few thrusts Ney gave one of his
quick strokes and cut off the top of his
hat The professor threw
down his sword and said: "Gentlemen
you have a fencing master now and do
not need me-" Ney always took
great deal ofpains at school in teaching
his boys how to handle sword-would
take few rounds nearly every day
at recess. French history says that
when a fencing master of the
Fourth Hussars was wounded by the
champion Of the neighboring regiment /
Marshal Ney"was selected to vindicate
the honor of his corps" and after
gaining a victory in this contest and
inflicting a severe wound upon the
former hero, Ney "with that kindness